Month: June 2006

If we can't get network neutrality through laws, why not get it the old fashion way? What I am suggest is that, if we create a logo-program for network neutrality and educate the public, through zillions of blogs, we can influence users' choice significantly enough to force network operators into adopting network neutrality even if they are granted the right to collect fees.

IMHO, market forces are stronger than any force masses of special-interest lobbyists can muster.

Since April, my PassMark Security shares were exchanged for RSA Security shares which then lost 25% of it's value over SEC stock option grant investigation but had since recovered much of the loss. Today, I read that EMC is buying RSA Security at $28 per share which means I'll end up with EMC shares now. Hey, I kinda like this crazy M&A rollercoaster ride. Let's do it again! 😉

I am of the opinion that great teachers are as rare as geniuses and most teachers tend to do more harm than help by spoiling the joy of learning into pointless drudgery: gems of enlightments and lessons smashed into a field of useless litter. So, with my son's education, I've let him fend for himself from the start in order to force him to learn how to learn like how a mountaineer would learn how to climb, with only occasional basecamp-level advices from me.

All is well except my son didn't do so well in algebra this year. Egads. It was time for another basecamp talk. So I spent 10 minutes showing him the bareass simplicity of algebra. It's really all about nothing except common sense and tossing cowchips over fences for fun and convenience, I pounded. He seemed to take that well.

Encouraged, I spent another 10 minutes on the huge store of fun waiting to be had in mathematics. It's as fun as video games if not more, I said jumping up and down. Oh oh. I think I overdosed him this time. I'll just have to wait for the next opportunity…

IMHO, it is natural for communities, real or virtual and small or large, to fracture over time. It doesn't really matter what, nor why, nor who causes splits and forks. The important thing is that social software needs to have built-in support for fracture. This is why I think Wikipedia should think about supporting perspectives instead of limiting 'anyone can edit' policy.

Perspectives may be just multiple views on one or more topics. Visually, perspectives can be listed textually or iconically. Perspectives done right allows unpopular perspectives to die and new perspectives to gain popularity. Popularity of a perspective could be measure by country and used as the default perspective for that country. Supporting othogonal editorial communities would work well with perspectives I think.

Note that, with perspectives, objective views can be just another perspective or thrown out entirely in favor of biased views which tend to be easier to write and, IMHO, more enjoyable to read.

Apparently some MacBook Pro batteries are swelling out of their case. A while back, I've read a post by some IT hardware support guy blaming swollen battery for a MacBook with touchpad button stuck in down state. I thought the post was bogus at the time but now I am not sure.

My guess is that most of MB and MBP problems are due to the unusually high temperature pushing all hardware components into the edge of their spec. Simply put, I wouldn't expect an iPod used in Siberia or Sahara desert to last as long as one used in California. But then I've noticed that electonic goods don't last longer than a few years these days where they used to last nearly a decade with only minor problems. My first VCR lived on for a little over 10 years and was still operating (with some wise nudging and toeing) when I replaced it another which lasted only two years before breaking down completely. Expenses don't bother me much but the chore of shopping sure does.